In reality, every encounter is a test.

From the destitute beggar who holds an outstretched hand asking for a dollar,

To the sad and broken woman who comes to your for support and has has endured countless hardships,

To the powerful and prosperous individual who deals with you in arrogance,

To your child who is rebelling and resisting your efforts to nurture and discipline them,

To your spouse who is conducting themselves in what is seemingly an unacceptable manner,

To the community members who take your voluntary efforts for granted,

To the friend who continues to gossip about you behind your back,

To the random stranger you pass in the street and scowls at you,

To the troll online who refuses to cease a hate campaign against you,

To the manager who doesn’t seem to acknowledge how hard you work and undermines your role,

To the teacher who doesn’t ever seem pleased with your study efforts,

And the list goes on.

Each and every person, scenario and encounter is both a blessing and a test.

Whether you perceive each situation as good or bad, positive or negative,

There is always goodness and growth to be found.

For every situation has been decreed by a Power higher than you,

By a Wise and Knowing Lord who wants you to gain wisdom and understanding,

By a Merciful God who wants to teach you, to humble you and expand the depths of your soul.

So the next time you encounter a person and scenario,

Just pause,

Take a breathe,

Reflect instead of react,

And seek out the lesson and wisdom that is before you.

Take good action,

Speak good words,

Hold a firm stance,

And respond with that which your Lord would be most pleased with.

Sometimes this involves not responding at all,

Sometimes it requires you to sternly defend yourself or the honour of another,

Sometimes it means swallowing your pride, your anger, your ego,

Sometimes it means embracing the risk and vulnerability of the countless unknowns involved in trusting the other,

Sometimes it requires thinking the best even of the one who is harming you,

Sometimes it means giving up arguing even when you feel you are right,

Sometimes it means forgiving without demanding justice,

Sometimes it means justice must be sought in order to facilitate healing,

Sometimes it is about being utterly selfless and forgoing your rights in order to allow another to receive theirs,

Whatever the case,

Wisdom and tact is always required when dealing with others.

I’ll be the first to admit that I get it wrong, more often than I’d like.

But change for the better starts with sincere acknowledgement of the reality of what we find before us in each day’s encounters.

Don’t underestimate your innate ability to know what is right and what is the correct approach in any given situation.

Don’t get caught in the muck of matters,

Don’t swim in the murky waters of negativity, hatred, bitterness, vengefulness, negative assumption and other dark states of heart and mind.

You’re better than that,

Allah has designed us for better and expects us to live up to a nobler disposition.

For we have the potential to be higher in status than the angels themselves should we use our free will to choose the higher road.

Don’t allow yourself to sink into the depths and darkness of holding your fellow man, your fellow believers in contempt.

Apart from the pure evil and devilish souls amongst mankind, the majority do mean well.

And despite the weakness we all carry with ourselves and the capacity to falter and commit wrong,

We all ultimately deserve a chance at redemption,

Some require a second chance,

And perhaps even a third.

No one is perfect.

So get yourself out of the way,

Move your ego aside,

And allow each person,

And each test,

To be as your Lord ordained:

A blessing in disguise.

Uncover these countless blessings and see them with the vision of your soul.